Ice Miller Welcomes Michael B. Coleman as Partner

Columbus Mayor to Join Firm as Director of Business and Government Strategies

Following his historic 16-year tenure as mayor of the City of Columbus, Michael B. Coleman will be coming home to join Ice Miller as Director of Business and Government Strategies on January 1, 2016. Coleman will be a partner and member of Ice Miller’s Public Affairs and Government Law Groups.

Coleman will bring to Ice Miller’s clients his considerable experience in successfully matching the needs of businesses with the resources of government to build, grow and protect thriving communities. Using his skills and relationships from more than 25 years in public service, along with his passion for job growth and development, Coleman will work together with the lawyers and professionals at Ice Miller to deliver superior services for their clients at a national, regional and local level.

“Michael Coleman is a national figure who has transformed a city through partnerships between business and government during 16 years as mayor of Columbus,” said Ice Miller Managing Partner Richard Barnhart. “We are proud and fortunate to have him join Ice Miller after his historic tenure as mayor.”

The longest-serving mayor in Columbus history, Coleman was elected in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. Through Coleman’s leadership, Columbus today has a distinguished reputation as one of the best cities in the nation for jobs, young professionals, creativity and diversity. Columbus is the 15th largest city in the nation, the largest city in Ohio and the fastest-growing city in the Midwest. Among the national accolades Coleman has received in recent years are his inclusion among Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers and Dreamers of 2014 and Ebony’s 2014 Power 100 list of the world’s most inspiring African-Americans.

Much of Coleman’s success was achieved through partnerships between business and government, including:

Transformative capital projects such as the Scioto Mile, Scioto Greenways and the Lincoln Theatre;

Lasting neighborhood revitalization efforts such as Franklinton, the Southern Gateway, American Addition and Weinland Park; and

Results-driven organizations such as Columbus2020, which drives economic development, and FutureReady Columbus, which will drive education.

“I am excited to be returning home to a firm I know, with many friends and former colleagues, as I begin this next chapter of my career,” Coleman said. “With that said, Ice Miller has grown exponentially since I was there, now giving me a national platform to create strategies where business and government intersect. Ice Miller has earned a national reputation for creating successful results through public-private partnerships, and I’m eager to be a part of their talented team.”

Ice Miller advises public entities, institutions of higher education and infrastructure investors on building effective partnerships that leverage private dollars to improve public services. These include:

Ohio Department of Transportation projects, including Phase II of the Innerbelt Design Build Finance Project and the interchange at Route 36/37 and Interstate Route 71;

Indiana Finance Authority projects, including the Ohio River Bridges project and the lease of the Indiana Toll Road;

The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority’s development, design, financing and construction of Lucas Oil Stadium and its expansion of the Indiana Convention Center; and

The Ohio State University’s efforts toward managing and monetizing on-campus energy systems using a 50-year concession and lease to a private entity.

Ice Miller is one of the leading public finance firms in the country annually approving between 300 and 400 municipal financings with a total principal amount of several billion dollars. The firm specializes in complex bond financings for colleges and universities and is among the nation’s leading counsel on higher education financings having served 54 schools in nine states on approximately 190 series of obligations and transactions totaling $6 billion in the past decade.

Ice Miller also is a leading bipartisan firm advising private and public clients in numerous industries on issues including: broadband and technology; economic development and government incentives and grants; energy and utilities; environmental law; gaming and liquor law; legislative and executive branch advocacy; and government procurement.

“Michael Coleman and Ice Miller are a perfect fit,” said Deborah Pryce, principal

at Ice Miller Whiteboard. “We accomplished great things together when we

were both in the public sector, and I am excited to work with him again in the private sector.”

Prior to serving as mayor, Coleman was a partner with the law firm of Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, which combined with Ice Miller in 2012. He also served on City Council from 1992 to 1999, including three years as council president. Early in his career, Coleman was an assistant attorney general for the State of Ohio and a legislative assistant for City Council. Coleman earned his law degree from the University of Dayton Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati.

About Ice Miller LLP

Founded in 1910, Ice Miller LLP is an Am Law 200 Firm with a nationally recognized reputation in many of its practice areas. Ice Miller offers a broad array of capabilities in virtually all areas of legal practice including: corporate, patents and trademarks, bankruptcy, lobbying, labor and employment, litigation, employee benefits, environment, tax, trusts and estates, real estate, municipal finance, public affairs and government law. With offices in Chicago; Cleveland; Columbus; DuPage County, Ill.; Indianapolis; New York; and Washington, D.C., the Firm has more than 300 lawyers and 40 paraprofessionals.

This press release is intended for general information purposes only and does not and is not intended to constitute legal advice.